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User blog:Definiteinfinity/10219 Maersk Container Train
Last night I bought the Maersk Container Train (10219) and immediately got to work building when I got home. What an experience! The build wasn't that difficult, but it did take four hours. At 1234 pieces, it was worth the price, especially considering this is the train around which I plan to build a giant display. This was my first step into climbing out of the dark ages, and becoming a true AFOL. Sure, I had some bricks as a kid, held in a red travel box made by LEGO and later a tackle box made for fishing supplies. These would become scattered with the bricks I can't remember originally obtaining, and sets I would accumulate later on. In fact, my parents still have the tackle box, but ask that I leave it at their house for whenever the neighbors' kids are there. Getting involved in the LEGO community, and finding out that there is an entire culture of adults who still find it interesting makes me feel better about wanting to crawl onto the floor and build right next to those kids when I'm there. The difference now is that I have a job, and can make the money to buy those sets I could only drool over as a child. Which takes me back to the train. I started on the engine, and after an hour I took a break to step back and see what I had created. Another half-hour of work and the engine was complete, and what a beauty. I surfaced from my table covered in pieces (the table, not me) to see this amazing engine, and basked in the glow of another entire set of bags filled with the rest of the set. On a scale of one to excited, I was an eleven. For a moment, I considered calling it a night, to spread some of the excitement out. However, my lovely wife Westin was playing Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7, and there didn't seem to be an end in sight. It also occurred to me that tomorrow was Sunday, when we take our dog to her weekly training class, therefore it would be halfway through the day before I could build again. Onward I built. The next few hours flew by as the wagons and containers took shape, and it all became a set. I mentioned to my wife that applying stickers has never been so stressful, but I HAD to get them straight! Those stickers are so adhesive that once placed, they're final. I didn't want to attempt removing them for fear of horribly disfiguring them in the process, and aside from a few slightly askew labels, everything turned out nicely. It's a good thing I had the foresight to ask if this set came with track while in the store, because it doesn't. Fortunately I was able to pick up set 7499 (straight and flexible track) at the same time. I've read some reviews that say the flexible track has a habit of causing derailments, but because I don't have the power functions set to automate the train yet I haven't experienced this. I will agree with the negatively focused reviews on 7499 that the set doesn't make a complete loop. That being said, I think this set is mainly intended as additional track to expand an existing set (unless you start out with 10219 like me). Overall, it was nice to have some track to help keep the Maersk Train stable while I built it, and allowed some testing after completion. That means that I played with it. No, I did not make choo choo noises. Well, a lot of them. The truck that comes with this set is nice and simple, with a 2-axle detachable trailer. The trailer can hold one cargo container, and has the ability to stand on its own, it's pretty versatile. The containers can fit either one or two to a wagon, or stand alone, and what better place to keep all the spare parts! Spare parts are always maddening and refreshing at the same time. They give rise to thoughts like "what step did I miss, is the whole thing messed up now?! Do I have to start over?!" but also "oh man, two transparent red studs? Score!" Regardless, they're in one of the cargo containers for when I think about them later and wonder where they went. Maybe I should buy another tackle box, but that's a story for another day. In closing, this set justified getting back into LEGO for me. Looks like I've got a lot of building to do. Category:Blog posts